A survey suggests four out of five drivers in England want government action on pavement parking,
However, respondents remained divided on the best approach.
Pavement parking is currently banned only in London and Scotland.
A 2020 consultation by the Conservative government, exploring powers for English councils to ban it, ultimately led to no policy change. The Labour government, however, confirmed in July it would announce "the next steps" on the issue "as soon as possible".
A survey of 1,709 UK drivers commissioned by the RAC suggested 83 per cent want new rules on pavement parking.
Some 42 per cent of respondents are supportive of an outright ban in England, while 41 per cent want councils to be given tougher powers to easily prohibit the practice on specific roads.
Only 13 per cent of those surveyed said they do not think pavement parking should be banned.
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of those surveyed said they see vehicles either partially or fully parked on pavements near where they live.
Of those, 44 per cent say they often see pedestrians having to walk into the road as a result, with the same proportion saying they see this happen occasionally.
English councils outside London must consult on and implement separate Traffic Regulation Orders to ban pavement parking on specific roads, which can be a costly and time-consuming process.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said pavement parking is “a serious problem in some communities that needs tackling”.
He went on: “No pavement user should be forced into walking or wheeling into the road because of someone parking inconsiderately.
“A clear majority of drivers agree and want to see an end to needless pavement parking that causes accessibility problems, but when it comes to the solution, the jury is out.
“Any future Government policy therefore needs to strike the right balance between stamping out pavement parking that causes a danger to people walking or wheeling, and ensuring some of England’s streets don’t end up being inadvertently blocked by parked vehicles.”
Rachel Toms, connected neighbourhoods director at walking, wheeling and cycling charity Sustrans, said: “The obvious next step is for the Government to legislate to give councils in England the same power to enforce pavement parking restrictions as those in Scotland and London.
“This issue is having a huge impact on some of the most vulnerable people in society and it’s time for action to address the problem.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Our priority is to make it as easy and as accessible as possible for everyone to get around, and we recognise the problems pavement parking can cause for people across the country.
“The Government continues to review the issue of pavement parking nationwide and will update in due course.”
The survey was conducted by research company Online95 in June and July.
